


Is it Too Much to Ask For Home That Lasts? ft. Peter Parker

by WakandaForever2357



Series: Peter Parker's Home Dilemma [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Abused Peter Parker, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avengers Family, BAMF Peter Parker, Civil War did not happen, Dead May Parker - Freeform, Gen, Homeless Peter Parker, Hurt Peter Parker, Mentioned for like 3 seconds, Minor OC - Freeform, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Has Issues, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Little Shit, Peter Parker is a Mess, Protective Avengers, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Tony Stark, Sarcastic Peter Parker, Sassy Jarvis, Sassy Peter Parker, Scared Peter Parker, The Author Regrets Nothing, The author regrets everything and nothing, Tired Peter Parker, Very light mentions of rape/non-con, Wanda Maximoff & Peter Parker Friendship, but still, is dead - Freeform, snarky Peter Parker, the author doesn't know how to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:00:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27980421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WakandaForever2357/pseuds/WakandaForever2357
Summary: Peter Parker's Aunt May died, leaving him in the foster care of Skip Westcott, but he abuses him and after two weeks, Peter runs away.That was eight months ago.Now, it's the middle of winter, and Peter's not sure if he's going to survive the freezing conditions.He still dons the suit, because crime doesn't stop just because he's exhausted and fighting to stay awake and alive every minute of the day.Peter's been stretched far beyond his breaking point.He's in pieces.What happens when the Avengers, under SHIELD orders, capture Spiderman and see the terrified, broken boy underneath?
Relationships: Bruce Banner & Peter Parker, Clint Barton & Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Sam Wilson, Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff & Peter Parker
Series: Peter Parker's Home Dilemma [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2116332
Comments: 157
Kudos: 1256





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!  
> This is my first ever fanfiction, and I'm really excited to see how it goes. Please stay with me, I'm just getting my bearings, but I have lots more planned.  
> Summary:  
> Peter is tired, and the Avengers are briefed on their mission by SHIELD. The Avengers and Spiderman meet, and Peter is none too happy.

Peter Parker was very, very tired. All he wanted to do was drop and sleep, for like a week, but given that he was currently stuck in a dumpster, he didn't think that would be the best course of action. He had just wrapped up a rooftop fight and he was about to swing away when he tripped, _tripped,_ and went flying over the side of the building. 

He tried to fire a web, but he was out of web fluid, so he dropped straight into an open dumpster. He knew he should be kind of grateful that he hit the relatively soft trash bags instead of the ground, but still. _Gross._

Lying in the filth, Peter contemplated how his life had become this pathetic. If anyone had told him eight months ago that he would be homeless and freezing on the streets in the middle of winter, he would've scoffed and sent them to a mental institution. Yet, here he was, lying in a dumpster he was too tired to get out of with no place to call home - unless you counted the alley he slept in. 

He somehow managed to climb out of the dumpster and change into his civilian clothes. In a haze, he stumbled back to his alley, laid down on his ratty blanket, threw his hoodie over himself, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Tony, common room now. Fury has a new mission," Steve said.

Tony rolled his eyes. "What does old Eyepatch want this time? Has he lost his overcoat? Or maybe his cat?"

"No he-what? Fury has a cat?" Steve asked, looking confused.

"Whatever," Tony muttered, grabbing a cup of coffee and heading for the common room. 

Steve followed Tony to the common room, where everybody else was waiting.

"Stark," Fury greeted, "nice of you finally to join us."

Tony shrugged. "What can I say," he said breezily, " fashionably late is my thing."

Fury fixed him with his beady stare, then looked away, addressing the room.

"I need you to bring in Spider-Man," he started. "He's another enhanced individual, and we need to know more about him, as per protocol. He's doing good work right now, but we need to be prepared for the future just in case. Either way, I'm curious about this vigilante myself. Not going to pass up the chance to learn more about him."

"Why can't you just have some SHIELD agents bring him in?" Natasha asked, cocking an eyebrow. "This hardly seems like an Avengers-level mission."

Fury looked disgruntled. "I tried that. All of them failed, and are still picking webbing out of their clothes. I've had several agents take a leave because they don't want to get called on to try and bring him in. Seems like the agents who tried have been sharing horror stories about their attempts."

Tony smirked. "So Spider-Man avoided getting caught by your own agents and has intimidated _the_ SHIELD? Sounds like he and I are going to get along just fine."

"There will be no _getting along._ He's a potential threat, and I want you to treat him as one. Bring him to me as soon as you capture him. Understand?" Fury said, pointedly glaring at Tony.

"No need to get your eyepatch in a twist, Fury, we'll keep Tony in line," Clint said, ignoring Tony's indignant "Hey!"

"Excellent. Inform me when you capture him. That is, if you can." Fury strode out of the room.

"Well, that sounded unexpectedly ominous!" Tony remarked cheerfully, rising from his chair. He clapped his hands and grinned at the team. "Now, who wants to go find a spider?"

* * *

Living on the streets was harder than it looked, but Peter managed. His knowledge of engineering had really come in handy, and he was able to do little mechanical jobs here and there to earn himself enough money to get by. It wasn't ideal, but he could just about afford the most basic necessities. Food was a constant problem, as his enhanced metabolism required him to eat a lot more food than he could actually afford. He was pretty sure he needed about 3 or 4 meals a day, with snacks in between. Now, he could afford, with luck, a sandwich or two everyday, sometimes other things. The lack of food had also seemed to slow down his healing abilities, he was pretty sure this was because he wasn't getting the nutrients his enhanced body needed.

However, none of that stopped him from being Spider-Man. Spider-Man was a hero, and heroes don't disappear just because they're going through a tough time in their life. People needed him, and honestly, he liked that. At least some part of him was important enough that other people needed him. Besides, he would never give up Spider-Man. It was a vital part of him, and now, it felt like the only part of him still worth something. At least Spider-Man stopped robberies and fought crime. What did Peter Parker do now? He spent his days doing odd mechanical jobs or he holed up in a library to read all day.

As evening fell, Peter donned the suit and swung over the city. It looked like a relatively peaceful night, and it was. He only encountered 2 robberies and nothing else. He was just about to wrap up his patrol early when his enhanced hearing caught the faint thud of something behind him. He spun around, ready to attack, but instead of gunmen, it was - 

Holy crap.

It was Iron Man.

"I-Iron Man, it's - uh - really good to see you," he stuttered. _Smooth, Parker._ "No-Not to be rude or any-anything, but what're you-what're you-what're you doing _here_ , exactly?"

Wow. 

He was a _mess._

"I'm going to cut to the chase, Spider-Man," Iron Man said, his voice clipped and formal. Peter stiffened, because this did not sound like a friendly neighbourhood call.

"I'm here to take you in," Iron Man continued. "You see, under orders from SHIELD -" 

"Hold up. You're with _SHIELD_?" Peter asked incredulously.

"Yes, and I as I was saying - " Iron Man started.

"No, you don't need to say anything else." Peter was aware of how cold his tone was, but _seriously?_ Now _the Avengers_ themselves were after him. Couldn't Shield just take a hint.

"Woah, buddy. No need to go all commando on me, I just -"

"I know exactly what you want, _Iron Man,_ " Peter spat. "You're here to try and detain me, so that SHIELD can have a chance to use me as their little lab rat. But no. I'm not going in, because the only reason SHIELD is doing this is because they don't like the fact that I'm an enhanced that's not under their control. I'm my own person, and I have a secret identity to keep and people to protect. You probably wouldn't understand, Mr. _I am Iron Man_ , but some of us take a little more responsibility for the powers that they've been given. If I go to SHIELD, they'll detain me and not let me go until I agree to join them. And that's not going to happen. So thank you for coming to visit me, Mr. Stark, but you can go back to SHIELD and tell them to piss off. I'm not their puppet."

Iron Man sighed. "Look, Spider-Man, I understand your point of view. But SHIELD is only trying to protect-"

"Don't spout that crap with me," Peter said angrily,"because we both know it isn't true. Do you think I'm stupid enough to believe that SHIELD will just let me waltz off after they do their tests or whatever? Because I'm not. I know that the only waiting for me at SHIELD is a waiting cell. So I'm not going."

Iron Man stared at him and sighed. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Here's the thing, though, you need to be brought in. So it looks like we're going to have to do this the hard way."

Peter's spidey-sense buzzed and he quickly swung over to another building. He looked around to assess the situation, and - 

It wasn't good news.

Iron Man had taken flight, and he could see Captain America and Black Widow running in. He didn't see Hawkeye, but he saw an arrow embedded into the building where he was standing, so he knew he was around somewhere.

He was totally, utterly screwed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter Parker manages to survive several fights with the Avengers, but his health is deteriorating. How long will he last, especially now that reinforcements have arrived?

"You know, this really isn't how I imagined meeting the Avengers," Peter grumbled as he dodged a repulsor blast from Iron Man. Aloud he said, "So guys, did Fury get tired of me sending his agents home with webbing in their hair and clothes? Cause I swear, only like 70% of it was on purpose!" 

"You know, I suppose I should be flattered," Peter announced cheerily as he engaged Captain America and sent him flying into a wall. "Fury sent his A-team! Get it?"

No reaction.

"Sheesh, tough crowd," Peter muttered, flipping over an arrow from Hawkeye. "But that one wasn't too good anyways."

His spidey-sense buzzed, and he ducked just in time to avoid a roundhouse kick from Black Widow. 

"Black Widow!" he exclaimed as he somersaulted to the left to avoid another arrow. "You know, I've always been a fan of yours. Spider to spider and all that."

Black Widow's expression didn't change. "You'll come with us right now if you know what's good for you, Spider-Man," she said, charging up her Widow's Bites. "SHIELD sees you as a threat, and you are essentially proving that right now."

"You know," Peter drawled, dodging a repulsor blast from Iron Man, "I seem to remember you guys attacking _me._ So, I could argue that this is self-defence. I mean, I did try to walk away peacefully. But nooooo, you guys just _had_ to get involved."

"Of course we got involved, we need to bring you in," Captain America grunted as he stood up, throwing his shield at Peter, who easily dodged and webbed it, using it to defend himself from a triplet of arrows Hawkeye had just let loose.

"You know," Peter huffed, swinging over to another building, "I would be willing to go in for the tests, as long as SHIELD let me go after they were done and I got to keep my secret identity."

"No can do, Spider-Man," Iron Man piped up, firing a laser at Peter. "We need to know your identity. It's for everyone's safety."

Peter snorted as he shot a web at Iron Man, which caught him on the leg. He pulled him into the path of an oncoming Captain America, who was running too fast to stop. They both ended up flying sideways into a generator, hitting it with a terrific crunch.

Peter swung by, and before they could stir from the wreckage, he webbed them up. "Sorry guys," he said, swinging away. "but I gotta do what I gotta do to make it out of this alive."

"You think we're going to kill you?" Black Widow questioned in an incredulous tone, staring up at Peter.

He smirked underneath the mask. "Nah, not really. It was just a distraction."

Before Black Widow could react, he had used his webs to pull her legs out from underneath her. She was webbed up before she could say a word, and Peter moved on to Hawkeye.

The archer had moved from his original spot, but Peter used his enhancing hearing to pick up his footsteps. He followed him stealthily, (or as stealthily as you can be in a bright red and blue suit) and used a web to rip Hawkeye's bow away from him before he could react. He was webbed up in a matter of seconds.

He's exhausted after the battle, and all he wants to do is lie down and sleep. 

Instead, he straightens and swings away, waving to the webbed-up heroes.

"Bye, guys!" he yelled. "The web fluid will dissolve in two hours, so just hang tight until then, okay?"

He disappears into the night.

* * *

He barely managed to get to his alley before he dropped, exhaustion taking over.

"Well, that was crazy," he mumbles, before passing out. 

* * *

Peter had hoped that the Avengers were a one-time thing.

They weren't.

They were relentless, battling him thrice or four times weekly.

He had managed to survive so far, but his injuries from battle were constant, and his healing wasn't what it once was. If he was lucky, his injuries would heal in two or three days, and he had usually had to battle the Avengers again before his previous injuries healed. 

His financial situation also declined, since his injuries made it hard for him to move around. Most days, he just burrowed into his ratty blanket, not getting up until late evening. Then he would grab something small to eat, before heading out as Spider-Man.

Hunger became his constant companion, and he was aware that he was inching towards death from starvation. But he felt so helpless, barely able to move as the cramps in his stomach grew worse and worse. But he still pushed himself to be Spider-Man, even though he knew it was slowly killing him. After all, if he died, at least it would be doing something that everybody loved, right?

He was always in an exhausted state, and his injuries started taking longer and longer to heal.

Dully, he wondered how long he could last.

It turned out, not long. 

* * *

"I'm tired of getting our butts handed to us by Spider-Man," Clint complained as they trudged into the common room, after yet _another_ battle with Spider-Man.

"You and me both," Natasha muttered. 

"Guys, there has to be _something_ we're missing. I mean, there's four of us and one of him. How has he managed to avoid capture for so long?" Steve asked, looking beyond confused.

"Perhaps, Captain Rogers, he is simply better than all of you," JARVIS said, the AI sounding amused.

"JARVIS!" Tony cried dramatically. "Don't tell me Spider-Man's turned you too!"

"I do not believe I _can_ be turned, Sir, as I have no physical body," JARVIS replied with a hint of sass. "However, I do have to admit that I rather admire the young lad."

"Unbelievable," Tony muttered, sinking into an armchair. "He turned my own AI against me."

"JARVIS, did you analyze all footage of our recent fights with Spiderman?" Natasha asked, ignoring Tony's groans.

"I did, Miss Romanoff. Would you like me to put it on the screen?" JARVIS asked politely.

"Yeah, do it, JARVIS," Tony butted into the conversation. "Did you get anything?"

"I'm afraid not sir. All I can tell from the footage is that Spider-Man seems very difficult to capture and has thoroughly beat all of several times."

"I figured that out by myself, funnily enough," Tony muttered drily.

"Did you realize that when he slammed you into a wall, Sir? Or was it perhaps the time when he left you dangling upside down in a cocoon?" JARVIS replied, equally dry.

"Very funny." Tony groaned as Clint tried to stifle his snickers.

"Did you manage to analyze his fighting style?" Steve asked, trying to stay focused.

"No, Captain Rogers," JARVIS said regretfully. "Spider-Man does not fight according to any known fighting style. He hangs back sometimes, and sometimes he engages. I can not find any known pattern as to when he engages and when he defends. It appears to be on impulse. His technique is unique and it appears to be impossible to predict his next move using any artificial program."

"What about his webs?" Tony asked.

"I have analyzed them but can't break down the chemical composition. It appears to be an imitation of a real spider's silk, and the material's tensile strength does not match any element known to man. It appears he has invented them himself. His suit also managed to block me when I tried to analyze his figure during the battle."

_"Really?"_ Tony asked incredulously while Clint stated, "So he's a geek."

Tony huffed. "I think the word preferred over here would be _genius,_ Clint. He's managed to replicate the web of a spider, which nobody has been able to do. He also managed to block _JARVIS,_ and I can assure you, that's no easy feat."

Natasha looked deep in thought. "JARVIS, do you have any idea how he's managed to dodge most of our hits? He's been able to dodge blows that were coming from behind him, as well as projectiles like Clint's arrows." 

"I noticed the same thing, Ms. Romanoff. I, for one, frankly have no idea how he does it. My best guess would be that he has some sort of precognitive sense that allows him to sense danger towards him."

Natasha nodded. "That's what I was thinking, too."

"So, the question remains. How are we going to beat him?" Clint asked.

Before they could start arguing, JARVIS spoke. "If I may, Sir, I have noticed one thing about him."

"Lay it on me, JARVIS. " Tony commanded. 

"Well, Sir, he seems to rely heavily on his webs for battle, both for close combat and far range."

Tony didn't say anything for a while, looking in deep thought. Then, he grinned.

"I have an idea," he announced, "but we'll have to wait a couple of days."

"Why? What's in a few days?" Steve questioned, looking a little suspicious.

Tony's grin went full shark-mode. "Because Wanda, Rhodey, Sam, and Scott are coming back day after tomorrow."

* * *

Peter was swinging back to his alley when he heard the now-familiar sound of repulsors.

He sighed and landed on a nearby rooftop, turning to look at Iron Man.

"Look man, I'm really tired right now. Can we do this another time?" Peter asked, groaning.

"Sorry Spiderman, no can do." Iron Man didn't sound sorry at all.

"Well, you sound awfully chipper," Peter remarked, "What's up with that?"

"Oh, nothing much," Iron Man said airily, "Just looking forward to finally catching you."

"What's so special about today? Did you bring in the cavalry or something?" Peter questioned, slightly suspicious.

"Something like that."

As though on cue, his spidey-sense buzzed.

Peter shifted to look behind him, and - 

Well.

If he thought he was screwed before, he was far beyond screwed now.

Approaching him were Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Ant-Man, War Machine, Falcon, and Scarlet Witch.

"Crap. I am so dead," Peter muttered.

"Yeah, It sure seems that way," Iron Man agreed. "So how about you just sure-"

"Nope. Not happening. If I'm going to go down, I'm going down fighting." Peter cut him off.

Iron Man shrugged. "Whatever you want, Spider-Man. At least you're acknowledging the fact that you _are_ going to go down, which is more than our villains do."

"Yeah, I'm smart like that." Peter shot a web at Mr. Stark, which hit him in the leg. He pulled Iron Man towards him, and swung him in the air, before releasing him and sending him flying towards the oncoming Avengers team. He hit War Machine with an earsplitting crunch, sending them both flying backwards and into a building. The rest of the Avengers were still charging, and he swung out to meet them. 

The fight had begun. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! Two chapters in one day!  
> Thank you for the comments and kudos on the previous chapter, guys! I really appreciate it. I'm working on Chapter 3 right now, and I'll try to update as soon as I can. It'll most probably come out on the weekend.  
> Make sure to comment and let me know what you think of it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers finally take down Spider-Man.  
> Peter is dying.  
> When the Avengers take the mask off, what will they decide to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all those comments and kudos on the last chapter, guys! This is going better than I imagined! I'll put more notes at the end of the chapter, but for now, enjoy the chapter.  
> WARNING: Heavy angst ahead

Peter quickly went to work. He webbed up Captain America and launched Falcon into a billboard with an aerial kick, swinging away before the other Avengers could retaliate.

The Avengers had the numbers on their side, so Peter knew he had to take out some of them right now if he didn't want to die. Ant-Man and Scarlet Witch would probably be the most dangerous, but he doubted he could get to them. Instead, he opted for Hawkeye and Falcon. 

He swung over to Falcon, who was still down, looking dazed from his crash with the billboard. He quickly webbed him to the billboard and then did the same with Hawkeye, but before he could swing away, he was rammed by Captain America. 

"Jeez, could you watch where you're going?" he grumbled, simultaneously dodging his and Black Widow's attacks. "It's not very nice to ram into people, you know."

"It also isn't nice to catapult people into buildings," Iron Man retorted as he flew in, joining the melee.

"Well, I suppose not. But catapult is kind of a strong word, don't you think?" Peter questioned as he dodged Iron Man's attacks. 

Iron Man snorted. "Not really." He fired a laser at Peter, who managed to avoid it narrowly.

He tried to swing away, but his web was cut off by a laser from Iron Man and before he could try again, Ant-Man erupted into normal size in front of him, his fist rocketing towards his face. He tried to dodge, but he was too slow and was sent flying across the building. Dazed, he tried to get back up, but some unseen force was holding him down. Looking around, he saw faint tendrils of red, a tell-tale sign of Scarlet Witch. He took a look around and saw her floating towards him from another building, eyes glowing red. Captain America, Black Widow, and Iron Man were approaching him on the left, and he saw War Machine flying in from the right. Ant-Man hadn't grown back yet, so he had no idea where he was. 

If he didn't get back up right now, this fight was over.

He managed to shoot a web at Scarlet Witch. She dodged it, but the distraction was enough for her to lose concentration and allow him to get back on his feet. Before he could do anything else, though, Ant-Man grew again, engaging in combat. Peter tried to fight, but Ant-Man kept shrinking and growing, and he was back on the ground in a minute. Groaning, he tried to get up again, but his Spidey-Sense buzzed, and he was too slow to react. Something jabbed him from behind. Lightning filled his veins as he fell back to the floor in a convulsing heap, groaning. He could blurrily make out Black Widow standing behind him, holding a crackling Widow Bite in one hand.

He tried to get back up, because Spider-Man _always_ got back up, no matter what. But, to his horror, he couldn't. He realized that the inevitable had happened; his body had crashed. The electric shock was the latest in a long line of torment he had put his frail body through, and it had finally reached its breaking point. It was shutting down, and it was going to take Peter's life along with it. He had fought his last fight, and now all he could do was lie there, too exhausted to move, too exhausted to fight. 

Peter had always powered through whatever had been thrown at him, but he had reached the end of the line. He couldn't remember feeling this helpless, not with Ben, not with May, not with Skip, and now with his parents. He was going to die here, and he wasn't even going to be in control of his own body as he did. 

Peter was dimly aware of his limp body being moved, and then he could make out the interior of a plane. Then suddenly, the plane was airborne, and he was drifting, drifting, drifting away.

_So this is where I die._

His last thought before the darkness took over?

_I hope they bury me next to May._

* * *

"What do we do now?" Steve questioned as he looked at the prone form of Spider-Man. "Should I contact Fury and let him know we have the package?"

"Hold that order, Cap," Tony said, smirking. "I think we deserve a little gift for all our troubles, don't you?"

"What do you mean, Tony?" Steve asked suspiciously. 

Tony grinned. "I want to see who's under the mask."

All of the Avenger perked up, and looked towards Steve, waiting for his response. They expected a big "No!" followed by a lecture on how Spider-Man was entitled to privacy, but Steve simply sighed and said, "Okay."

"Wait, really?" Clint said incredulously. "No lecture?"

"No, Clint," Steve said, sighing. "Spider-Man's mask is going to be taken off anyway, so I don't think it matters that much if we take it off right now. Go ahead, Tony."

The Avengers all turned to watch as a gleeful-looking Tony bounded over and unceremoniously ripped off Spider-Man's mask. 

All of the Avengers sucked in a breath.

Honestly, they didn't know what they _had_ been expecting, but it certainly wasn't _this._ This . . . 

Was a kid.

A kid who looked like he'd been through hell. 

He couldn't have been older than sixteen. 

His cheeks had caved in, a sure sign of malnourishment. His lips had a faint blue tinge, and he had some bad bruising on the left side of his face. His skin was cold to touch, and under his eyes were some of the worst dark circles they had ever seen.

He looked like a living corpse.

"JA-JARVIS, scan," Tony ordered in a trembling voice.

JARVIS began speaking. "Peter Benjamin Parker, Sir. He is fifteen years old." Several Avengers gasped. "His parents died when he was six, his uncle died about one and a half years ago, and his aunt died eight months ago. He was placed in the care of Skip Westcott, however, he ran away after two weeks. There are no further records of him, so I assume that he has been living on the streets ever since."

Clint, Natasha, Tony, and Scott looked horrorstruck while Steve, Sam, and Rhodey looked sadly at Peter. Wanda whispered something in shaky Sokovian, unable to take her gaze off Peter's face.

Tony was the first to break the grim silence.

"We're not giving him to Fury," he said in a shaky whisper, looking around at the rest of the team, who nodded somberly. They _had_ been tasked to bring in Spider-Man, but giving a _kid_ to Fury so that he could be tested, was wrong. He was just a kid, a kid clearly in need of help. 

"Barton, take the Quinjet back to the tower," Tony said tersely. "JARVIS, give me his vitals."

"Mr. Parker appears to be severely malnourished and dehydrated, and his body is shutting down. I suspect this is due to his enhanced metabolism and the fact that Mr. Parker continues to push his body daily as Spider-Man."

"What do you mean by _shutting down,_ JARVIS?" Steve asked.

"Quite simply put, he is dying, Captain Rogers. His internal organs are slowly shutting down due to lack of vitamins."

Tony didn't hear the second part, too fixated on the fact that the kid was _dying_ in front of him. 

He turned around sharply. "No, this kid is _not_ dying. Steve, help me get his suit off. Natasha, radio the tower and alert Cho that we're coming in with an extremely malnourished kid. And don't forget to mention his enhanced metabolism! Wanda, do anything you can to keep his mental state from deteriorating. Rhodey, Sam, prepare the stretcher and Scott, get some of the vitamin injections we keep for Steve. Go!"

Everybody burst into motion. Natasha, Sam, Rhodey, and Scott hurried off, while Tony, Steve, and Wanda approached Peter. They immediately went to work, Tony and Steve stripping off the suit while Wanda worked her mental magic.

The kid was a sickly sight to look at. His body was way too skinny, and each rib stuck out so clearly it looked painful. His stomach had retracted so much that it was practically touching his spine. His body was littered with bruises and cuts, and Tony winced at seeing them. He had never thought about the consequences of their persistent battles with Spider-Man, but now, seeing the kid covered in injuries from _them,_ he couldn't even imagine how they had thought it was okay to keep attacking him as they did.

Trying to stay focused, he turned to Wanda. "What's the mental situation?" he questioned curtly.

She shook her head, looking pained. "I'm sorry, I tried, but it's completely dark in there. I couldn't find any thoughts to follow, and I'm afraid he's going to die if we don't do something soon."

Tony shook his head. That was _not_ going to happen.

"Natasha!" he called.

She came quickly, her face going white as she took in the sight before her. 

"How long until we reach?" he asked her quickly.

"Ten minutes," she replied, still looking very shaken.

"Tony, his pulse is slowing down," Steve warned.

Tony tried to keep his focus. "Get the defibrillator," he ordered Natasha, who nodded and left without a word.

After she had left, Tony took another look at the kid in front of him. Without the suit, he looked young. Too young to be fighting crime in the streets.

Too young to die.

If he died, it was on the Avengers. They had screwed up big time, but Tony couldn't, _wouldn't_ let another life be a price for their mistakes.

They had dug the hole, and now they had to get out of it. 

But for the moment, all Tony could do was sit there, wait, and hope.

"Just hang on, kid," he whispered. "I promise, we're going to fix this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how was it? What do you think will happen next? Let me know in the comments below. I'm working as fast as I can on Chapter 4, and I'll try to post it by Monday or Tuesday.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers land and Peter is whisked away to be treated.  
> Meanwhile, the Avenges ponder on how badly they screwed up.

Sam returned, holding a couple of needles in his hand.

"Give them here. Quickly!" Steve ordered. Sam handed them over, and Steve quickly injected them into Peter's arm.

Tony feared that it might be too little too late, but he refrained from saying so, knowing that the mood was tense enough already.

Natasha ran back in with the defibrillator, and Tony helped her set it up. They attached it to Peter with Tony at the pump.

"Clear!" Steve called with two fingers on Peter's neck. Tony pumped, and Peter's body jerked as the shock hit him.

They waited as Steve checked his pulse. He shook his head. "It helped, but not enough. Do it again!" he commanded, and Tony pumped again.

They all waited again in tense silence as Steve checked Peter's pulse. He let out a relieved sigh and said, "It's stabilizing, we just need to keep it that way until we land."

They nodded, hiding their relief, because the battle wasn't over, not be a long shot.

"Barton, how long until we reach?" Tony called. 

"Two minutes!" came the answering shout.

"Let's get him on the stretcher then. Rhodey! Wheel it here!" Tony ordered. Rhodey brought over the stretcher, and Wanda levitated Peter onto it. Natasha and Sam secured him, and then they all waited as Clint landed the Quinjet.

The second the landing ramp opened, medics swarmed the Quinjet, wheeling the stretcher away to the Medbay. 

The Avengers tried to follow them but were stopped by Helen Cho. 

"My team will take it from here. I suggest you clean up before you visit," she said briskly.

"Uh, okay. He's, um, Spider-Man, so we don't know what enhancements he may have," Tony said, looking unusually frazzled.

"We'll keep that in mind, Mr. Stark," Helen said, walking away.

"And, Helen?" Tony said. She turned around to look at him. "Take care of him."

"She raised an eyebrow. "Of course, Mr. Stark. Don't worry, we're well versed in cleaning up the Avenger's messes."

She left, leaving behind a group of very, very guilty Avengers.

* * *

After cleaning up, the Avengers silently made their way to the Medbay, where they were still working on Peter. Doctors rushed about, gathering tubes and medications and ointments.

Peter looked so small, dressed in a hospital gown and lying on a cot. And that was when it really hit the Avengers. They had been in mission mode before, compartmentalizing their emotions and internalizing them. But now, guilt hit them _hard._ For nearly a month, they had been beating on a _kid._ A kid who, given the chance, should be hanging out with his friends and worrying about school, not fighting robbers and muggers and starving on the streets.

The guilt ate away at them, and they couldn't bear it. They had never felt this guilty before, not even when they learned about the people who died during their fights. Obviously, they felt guilty, but some part of them knew that those were casualties of war, and they were pretty much inevitable. Reduced casualties? That could happen. But removing casualties? That was something that just _couldn't_ be done. 

But _this,_ this was not anything like that. _This_ was an outnumbered and prolonged beatdown on a kid who didn't deserve it.

They left when Peter started seizing.

* * *

Tony entered his lab and furiously threw himself into his inventions, trying to escape from the guilt that was clouding his mind. It didn't work, and soon he found himself staring at the Spider-Man suit, which he had left in here. It was ratty and torn and didn't look like it offered any major protection. It was basically just a coloured hoodie and sweatpants. 

The Avengers hid behind their suits and tech, while Peter warded off wearing glorified pyjamas. He probably had to stagger off after their battles, determined not to show weakness in from of them.

Tony felt his respect and guilt for Peter grow, and he made a promise to himself.

He was going to be there for the kid, no matter what.

* * *

Thuds sounded as Steve beat the hell out of the punching bag. All he could see in his mind was Peter's bruised face when they took his mask off.

_Bam!_

He was too young to be involved in this. Too young to carry the weight of the world on his shoulder.

Yet he did, anyway.

_Bam!_

He reminded Steve too much of his younger self, young and stubborn, determined to take on the world.

_Bam!_

Steve would fight bullies all the time back in the day. He knew how they thought. They were just cowards, looking for an easy target to pick on for their own personal gain.

_Bam!_

The punching bag flew across the room, hitting the opposite wall. Steve sunk to his knees, only one question in his mind.

_Am I any better than those bullies now?_

* * *

Clint was in shock. Spider-Man, the hero of Queens, the vigilante, the one they had been trying to capture; he was a kid.

Clint had a family, three kids of his own. He had no idea how would feel if any of them were out there risking their lives every day.

_But Peter had nobody left to feel for him, to be worried about him anymore._

Clint mindlessly examined an arrow, his mind far away. And he knew what he had to do.

He was going to give Peter a place to call home.

* * *

Scott had had a pretty dangerous life since he became Ant-Man, and he had a whole bunch of moments when he was crazy terrified. 

But when Spider-Man was dying in front of them?

He couldn't _ever_ remember feeling that scared, that helpless.

How would he have felt if it was Cassie under there?

He would be _furious._

The kid had nobody left to look out for him anymore, though. 

How many times must he have hoped that somebody would come to save him from his place on the streets?

Then the Avengers _had_ come, but instead of helping home like heroes were supposed to, they had pushed him to the brink of death.

Scott would make it up to Peter, no matter what.

* * *

Rhodey had always been a pretty calm and logical person. 

You _had_ to be if you were friends with Tony Stark since MIT. 

He had braved through army horrors, school exams, and every single stunt Tony had ever pulled.

But this?

This had shocked Rhodey to the core, which was a first.

Spider-Man was a fifteen-year-old kid.

What had Rhodey been doing at fifteen?

Certainly not anything compared to Peter.

Rhodey swore to himself that he would always be there for the kid, no matter what.

* * *

Sam had seen a lot of things, being a counsellor at the VA, but he was shaken at what he saw under Spider-Man's mask.

There had been a moment on the plane, a moment where Peter's eyes had opened during the defibrillator pumps. It was so short that he doubted anyone else had seen it, but what Sam had seen in that short moment would be etched into his mind for the rest of his life.

Peter's eyes had had a deep, haunted look to them, something Sam had only seen with the most experienced veterans at the VA, the ones who had gone through hell several times.

It had looked so fundamentally _wrong_ on such a young face.

Sam had no idea what Peter had been through, but he would help him recover.

He owed it to the kid.

* * *

Wanda had been through some pretty horrific experiences as a kid.

But she felt that they paled in comparison to Peter Parker, and she only had the surface information.

When Wanda had become an Avengers, she had sworn to herself that she would do no more harm in the world. 

And yet, there was a dying child being treated in the Medbay because she had hurt him.

The Avengers saved Wanda. What had she helped them do? She had helped them nearly kill Peter.

Wanda wondered when was the last time Peter had somebody to look out for him, to be worried for him, to _care_ about him.

She promised herself that she would be that person for Peter now.

She knew he needed it, just like she had needed it after Pietro had died.

She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this protective over someone (besides Pietro), but this kid was special.

They hadn't even interacted yet but she already felt that she would do anything for him.

He reminded her of Pietro, but in all the good ways.

* * *

Natasha had made plenty of mistakes in her life, but as she looked at the unconscious form of Peter, this felt like the biggest so far.

She had ruthlessly taken on and beat up a kid _several_ times.

Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was him collapsing to the ground after she had electrocuted him.

 _She_ had done that, nobody had forced her to. She had played a part in slowly killing the kid. 

Looking at his painfully thin body, she wondered where he found the strength to fight them again and again, and _beat_ them.

Despite what many believed, Natasha _did_ have a motherly side. She loved Clint's kids, and her visits were one of the most joyful parts of her life.

She raised a shaking hand and let it rest against his hollow cheek, whispering, "I promise, маленький паук, I will make this right."

She sat there, knowing that at the moment, all she could do was hope and wait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you guys think? Let me know in the comments. I've been planning this chapter for a while, knowing that it was important to see the different perspectives.   
> I have chapter 5 written, and it won't be long before I get it on here. I'll post it as soon as possible!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter wakes up and learns where he is.  
> He and his doctor discuss his condition and abilities.

Peter thought he was dead.

Or dying, at least.

So _why,_ then, could he hear voices?

"He's getting better, I'm hoping he'll wake up soon," an unfamiliar voice said.

"How long do you think it'll be until he wakes up?" another voice asked. This one _was_ familiar, and Peter hoped he hid his shiver well. It was Black Widow.

So, he had been captured by the Avengers. He wondered if he was with SHIELD or not.

Expanding his senses, he tried to figure out where he was without opening his eyes. He could hear two heartbeats, presumably Black Widow's and the other woman's. He could also catch the slightly sour smell of medication, and the beeping and humming of machines.

So, he was most likely in a hospital room. Opening his eyes the tiniest bit, he caught sight of the trademark red hair of Black Widow, who had her back to him. He focused on the other woman and . . . 

Oh. My. God. 

It was _Helen Cho._

Peter was internally fanboying, but he closed his eyes and told himself to focus. He knew that Helen Cho worked with the Avengers, so that meant he wasn't with SHIELD yet. That was good. It made it easier to escape. 

He tensed, getting ready to spring out of the bed, but Dr. Cho must have noticed, because she said, "Looks like our patient is awake."

She walked to his bedside and asked, "How do you feel?"

Peter didn't answer, hoping she might think that he was still asleep, but she chuckled and said, "I know you're awake, Peter. Your brain activity has increased and I don't think it's humanly possible to be that tense while sleeping."

He cursed internally. Looks like it was now or never if he wanted to escape. Before he could move, though, she said, "Before you do anything reckless like rip out that IV," _how did she know?_ "I want you to know that you're not in captivity. You're safe, you're in Stark Tower, and you are being treated. You won't be going to SHIELD, in fact, after treatment, you're free to go."

Peter stayed silent, absorbing this new information. He was 90% sure that she was lying, but he could figure that out by himself later. 

Not opening his eyes, he asked, "Can Black Widow leave the room?"

He was pretty sure that he was going to be shot down, but Black Widow said, "Of course, Peter. And please, call me Natasha."

Huh. 

After he heard the door click, he opened his eyes. The lights were bright, but his eyes quickly adjusted. The room looked pretty much like a regular old hospital room, but the equipment was much more high-tech, and the doctor . . .

Wasn't any ordinary doctor, that was for darn sure.

"Oh my god," he breathed. "You're _the_ Helen Cho. I mean, I realized it before, but now it's really hitting me. You're Helen Cho! You're like, the best geneticist in the world! I've studied your Regeneration Cradle and the science behind it, and it's amazing! The way you used the physics of cell biology to create it is just . . ."

He was cut off by a surprised-looking Dr. Cho. "Wait, how old are you?" she asked, one eyebrow raised. 

"Fifteen," he replied, which raised her eyebrow further.

"And you understand my work?" she asked incredulously. 

"Well, yeah," he replied, slightly confused. "I first read it at twelve, but-"

"Okay, it's official," she interrupted. "We have another genius."

Peter blushed. "Well, I wouldn't say genius . . ."

" _And_ he's humble," she added, grinning. "That'll make you a lot more tolerable too."

Peter blushed harder. He couldn't believe _Helen Cho_ thought he was a genius.

"Aw, you look so cute," she teased, pinching one of his cheeks before moving to check a few readings. "Tell you what, after I finish my checkup, we can chat science. How does that sound?"

Peter nodded eagerly. "That sounds great, Dr. Cho."

"Dr. Cho," she mused with a smile. "I like it, at least _you_ have manners. But I prefer you call me Helen."

Peter nodded again. "Okay, Ms. Helen."

She laughed. "I guess that'll have to do. Now, I need you to answer a few questions for me. Does that sound okay?"

At Peter's nod, she smiled and said, "Wonderful. So, how would you rate your pain from 1-10?"

"2," he answered.

"That's good. Do you feel any soreness anywhere?"

"Um, my ribs are feeling kind of sore, and my left leg also feels kinda funny."

"That's okay," she said, nodding. "Your ribs were bruised and your left leg was heavily injured when you were brought in, so that's probably why."

She continued, "Now, do you feel tired, exhausted? Any internal pain I should know about?"

He shook his head and her face broke into a relieved smile. "That's great to hear. I thought you might feel a little pain in your kidneys or your lungs, but you seem to be all right. This does bring us to the question of your abilities, however. I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind."

Peter bit his lip, feeling a little uncomfortable. Ms. Helen had been really nice so far, but he still felt weird at the thought of talking about his abilities. He had kept them a secret for so long, nobody ever knew about his abilities, not even May. 

"We don't have to talk about them if you don't want to, Peter," Helen said gently.

He asked in a whisper, "Can it just be the two of us?"

"Of course," she replied before turning to the ceiling. "JARVIS, initiate protocol "Can I Have Come Privacy?", please."

"Of course, Ms. Cho," JARVIS answered. "I will be going offline in 10 seconds. However, I must remind you that I will be back online in 20 minutes, and whatever events unfold _will_ be recorded, but can not be accessed by anyone without the owner's express consent."

"Thank you, JARVIS," Helen said before turning to Peter. "JARVIS will be offline soon. This room is completely soundproof and the door is locked, so I assure you, we'll have complete privacy. Do you feel better talking now?"

He nodded. There _was_ the matter of the recording, but JARVIS had said that it wouldn't be accessible without his or Ms. Helen's consent, so he didn't really see any concern there.

"That's good to hear. So, I want to start by asking _how_ you got your abilities."

"Well, there was this field trip to Oscorp, right? So, while we were there, I _kind of_ snuck off and found myself in some random room filled with spiders. What I _didn't_ know was that they were all experiments and radioactive. Well, one of them was loose, and while I was looking around, it bit me. It died after, though, so I don't think you guys have to worry about a loose radioactive spider on the run."

"So, you were bitten by a loose radioactive spider, which gave you powers," she affirmed.

"Yep."

"How long ago was this?" she asked.

"About two years. I started being Spider-Man after a month," he said.

Luckily, she didn't ask _why_ he became Spider-Man. He wasn't particularly in the mood to relive _those_ memories. 

"What, exactly, _are_ your abilities?" she asked. 

"I have enhanced strength and enhanced senses. I have a really fast metabolism, a healing factor, and I can stick to walls. I also have this thing I call spidey-sense, and it's basically this buzz I get when I'm in danger."

"Fascinating," Helen breathed. "If you don't mind, I'd like to test these abilities once you're better." 

Peter flinched, and she must have noticed, because she said quickly, "It's nothing invasive, I promise. It'll be a few simple physical tests. No blood draw or anything."

Peter relaxed. "I guess that'll be fine."

"Great!" she exclaimed. "One last thing, I also wanted to ask about your webs. Are they natural?"

"Ew, no," he said, shuddering. "I use webshooters that I invented."

"So you invented webs that replicate the webs of a spider?" she asked, looking impressed. 

"Well, yeah," he replied. 

She whistled. "And you say you aren't a genius."

He blushed. "It's nothing complicated, really. I'll show you another time, if you want."

"I would love that," she said sincerely. "Well, that'll be all, then. I _do_ one more question for you, but I promise you don't have to answer it. I'm asking this out of concern, it's nothing professional." She scooted closer and asked quietly, "What on earth happened to you that left you in such a bruised and starving state, Peter?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in day! Tell me what you think in the comments. I already have chapter 6 written and most of chapter 7, so I'll be updating real soon. Keep a lookout for more!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The details of Peter's backstory come out.

Peter froze at the question.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Peter," Helen said, her voice soft. "I just want to know out of concern. When you were brought in . . ." she shuddered. "I have _never_ seen a body that emaciated, Peter. If your heart wasn't beating, I would've been 100% convinced that I was treating a dead body." 

Peter shivered. He hadn't seen himself properly in a mirror for months, so he had no idea what he looked like, but it must have been bad for Ms. Helen to react like she did.

He _wanted_ to tell her . . . but it was difficult to get the words out. 

"My aunt died eight months ago," he began quietly, "She was my last living relative. My uncle died a year and a half ago, and my parents died when I was six." He didn't look up, not wanting to see the pity-filled gaze.

"I was moved to foster care, and my foster parent was, Skip Westcott," he barely managed to choke out the name.

"Skip, uh, he wasn't exactly the greatest."

_Major understatement._

"Peter."

Peter looked up to face Ms. Helen, who was looking horrified. "Did he abuse you?"

Peter dropped his gaze. "Yeah, bu-but it wasn't physical."

He could practically hear the pieces click into place. 

"Peter-" she began, but he cut her off, knowing that if he stopped now, he would never get out the rest of the story. 

"I wouldn't have gone along with it, Ms. Helen, I swear, but Skip told me he had a child in the basement. He said her name was Betty. He threatened to hurt her if I didn't do what he wanted, so I let him do it. Every. Single. Night. After two weeks, he had to go somewhere for the day, so I snuck into the basement, looking to free Betty, but she - she was _dead_. I - she was just lying there, Ms. Helen, covered in blood, bound in chains, and I couldn't - I couldn't - "

He broke off with a sob, unable to continue. Before he knew what was happening, Ms. Helen's arms were around him, and he was shaking, and he wrapped his arms around her, and it felt good, _so good . . ._

Peter couldn't remember the last time he had hugged, been hugged, or just _touched_ somebody in general. He was pretty sure it was nearly a year ago, when May was still alive.

Peter savoured physical affection, and May was always been full of it, with hugs, casual touches . . .

But that was in the past. Nowadays, he had a jittery feeling on his skin; and he was pretty sure that was because he was touch-starved.

Peter couldn't help but shudder at the load of physical contact Ms. Helen was giving him, even as tears ran down his cheeks. 

"Peter, I want you to listen to me," Helen said firmly, "Nothing that happened was your fault, okay? It was all Skip's fault."

Peter wanted _so badly_ to agree, but he couldn't.

"I could have fought back," he whispered, his voice muffled, "I could have fought back, but I - "

"But you didn't," she interrupted. "You didn't because you were worried about the life of another person, and that not cowardly, Peter. That's _heroic._ You didn't want Betty to get hurt because of your actions, so you kept quiet and _willingly_ endured one of the worst evils of humanity. That doesn't make you weak, Peter. That makes you _strong._ To have such a high moral ground, to worry so much about another person's life that you let yourself be submitted to tortures, that's something that even _heroes_ struggle with sometimes. You acted more heroic than most superheroes would be able to, and you did it as a _civilian._ So you need to understand, just because you didn't fight back, doesn't make it your fault. None of it is. Understand, Peter?"

He nodded against her shoulder. She exhaled and said, "Good."

They stayed like that for a while, before Helen said gently, "Peter, I don't want to push you, so it's completely fine if you don't want to tell me the rest."

"No, I want to," Peter whispered. He kept his arms around her, though. He didn't want to seem clingy, but he wanted to keep the comfort he had been deprived of for as long as he could. He took a deep breath and started speaking. "I ran away that day, Ms. Helen, and I've been on the streets ever since. I knew food would be my biggest problem. With my enhanced metabolism, I get hungry fast, so I managed to get a job under the table that just about kept me going. I was doing fine, but then a month ago, the Avengers started showing up. I also lost my job, and between the two, I started losing weight _fast._ My healing factor also depends on the amount of food I get, so it also started slowing down. I got weaker and weaker each day, and I knew I was on my way to death. When the Avengers finally captured me, I could barely stand, and then my organs started shutting down. With my enhanced senses, I could actually _hear_ my heart and lungs start to slow down, my kidneys beginning to fail. I was ready to die, Ms. Helen, and I thought I did, but then I woke up here, and, well you know the rest."

Ms. Helen had listened to his story in silence, but now she asked, "You continued to be Spider-Man in all of this?"

"Well, yeah," he replied, slightly confused, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Peter, you were starving, malnourished, and could barely function, not to mention homeless," she said. "You seriously didn't see that as a reason to stop?"

Peter shook his head vehemently. "Of course not! I couldn't stop because of that. My personal life should _never_ interfere with helping other people. I learned a long time ago, Ms. Helen, that when I've been given the powers I have and I have a chance to do something right, I _need_ to do it. Because if I don't and bad things follow? They happen because of me."

He didn't want to mention his _other_ reason, the fact that he knew he was going to die if he continued to be Spider-Man, and he _wanted_ it, because at least that way he would die doing something honorary.

Ms. Helen was still looking at him like he was a puzzle she couldn't solve. 

"What?!" he demanded.

She shook her head, smiling softly. "You, Peter, are really something else."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! Three chapters in a day! Let me know what you guys think in the comments. Chapter 7 should be coming out soon, I'm writing as fast as I can.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is released from the Medbay and meets the Avengers. It goes as well as you would expect.  
> He formulates his revenge plan and puts it into action, and we also see the beginning of a Wanda Peter friendship.

Peter was released from the Medbay the next day, but he had to stay in the tower for the next two weeks. 

Peter knew he was bound to run into the Avengers sooner or later, but he just didn't expect it to happen so _soon_. 

He had walked into a room thinking it was a kitchen, but it was actually a common room. With all the Avengers in it. Who were now staring at Peter.

Well.

_Parker Luck strikes again._

"Oh, uh, this isn't a kitchen," he said awkwardly. 

"Duh," Iron Man snorted. 

"I'll, um, just be going, then," he said, retreating towards the door.

"No, Peter, please stay," Captain America spoke from where he was sitting.

Obediently, Peter took a seat on one of the couches.

"So, Peter," Captain America started, "I just wanted to let you know that all of us are very sorry."

Peter frowned, but didn't say anything.

"Second, I wanted to assure you that SHIELD has no idea you're here, and we haven't told them anything about you."

"Thank you," Peter said quietly.

Captain America nodded. "You're welcome, Peter. Now, I also wanted to discuss your living conditions. As I'm sure you know, you're supposed to stay here for the next two weeks. We've provided a room, and JARVIS can lead you to it when you want to go. Your room is between Wanda's and Clint's. You can rely on JARVIS if you need anything, and don't hesitate to approach any of us if you need to. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah, I do," Peter said, leaning forward. "Will I _really_ just be allowed to leave after two weeks?"

"Of course, Peter," Captain America said, looking confused. 

Peter snorted. " _Riiiiiight._ You _seriously_ expect me to believe that I'll just be allowed to waltz off after two weeks after you guys went through so much trouble to capture me? I'm not dumb. How come I'm not with SHIELD right now?"

"You're not there because we realized we made a mistake," Iron Man said.

"And, what exactly _was_ your mistake?" Peter questioned, folding his arms. "Last I checked, you were supposed to bring me in using any force necessary. You did exactly that, so I don't get what your mistake is."

Iron Man rolled his eyes. "I thought that would be obvious, kid. The mistake is that _you're just a kid._ "

Peter struggled to tamp down his anger, but he knew that was a losing battle. "So let me get this straight," he said, his voice rising. "You guys thought that it was a mistake beating me up and bringing me in _because I'm a kid?!"_

"Well, yeah," Iron Man replied, still looking confused. 

That statement only fueled Peter's anger, and he thought, _Screw it._

"So basically," he seethed, straightening up, "you guys are saying that because _I'm a kid,_ I get special treatment. What if you guys took off the mask and there was a starving, dying person under there who was 30 years old, huh? Because _he_ isn't under eighteen, you guys would have been fine bringing _him_ in? That's seriously what you're trying to say?"

"No, of course not -" Captain America started, but was cut off by Peter.

"Save it, _Captain_ ," he spat. "That's _exactly_ what it sounded like to me. If that's really how you guys operate, then I'm _disgusted_ by the fact that people consider you heroes."

He stormed out of the room.

* * *

JARVIS had directed Peter to his room after his outburst, and he had stayed there for the rest of the evening, not wanting to face any of the Avengers again after his outburst. 

He knew he should be ashamed, but honestly, they _deserved_ it. He couldn't believe that the reason they didn't give him over was because of his age. 

Staying in his room had given him a lot of thinking time, and he had formulated a plan. 

Some small part of him knew that SHIELD had a point, that they were just trying to be cautious. After all, nobody knew anything about him, he had never breathed a word to anyone about Spider-Man before ending up here. To SHIELD, he was just another enhanced they had to be cautious of. 

But what he _didn't_ like was their implementation. With SHIELD, it was always _attack first, apprehend, and only talk like civilized human beings after that._ They never gave anyone a choice. He _knew_ that if he had been brought in, he would have been experimented on, and they wouldn't have let him go until he agreed to join them, wear some sort of tracker or power dampener, or both. 

He also didn't trust _anybody_ with a sample of his DNA or anything like that, because there was always a chance it would be used to create human soldiers or weapons. If not SHIELD, then it might fall into the wrong hands. 

He also knew that SHIELD wasn't above trying to experiment with his DNA. After the fall of the Helicarriers and the dumping of files, he had gone through most of them. He had seen the plans they had had to weaponize the Tesseract. Sure, they might claim they're only trying to prepare, but _no._ The best way to prepare would be to never let anything like that be created in the first place. As long as he was alive, he would make sure _nobody's_ touching him to try and get DNA.

He didn't particularly blame the Avengers, he knew they had been under SHIELD orders. _But,_ they _had_ hurt him, and he was going to be as salty as he could about it, even though he didn't really care much. (After all, a _lot_ of people hurt him. If he had a dollar for every time he was attacked, he would be set for life.)

This was pretty much the perfect opportunity to be salty and petty, even if he wasn't really mad. 

So, he had his plan all laid out. He was going to get his revenge on the Avengers, and the best part was, he didn't even need to touch them to make it happen.

He was going to _guilt trip_ them.

He grinned. 

This was going to be _epic._

* * *

Peter's first opportunity was with Captain America, who brought him dinner later on. 

"So, Peter," Captain America said, awkwardly hovering at the doorway. "I just wanted to apologize for earlier, none of us meant for it to go that way."

"I understand, it's totally okay, Captain America. I shouldn't have blown up the way I did either," he said, smiling a sugary sweet smile at Captain America. 

If May was here, she would be sounding the alarm bells, because anybody who knew Peter knew this: when he flashes _that_ smile, chaos is at hand. May described it as "a poisonously sweet smile that's a forewarning of your imminent doom."

Captain America didn't know that, though. _Poor guy, he had no idea what's coming,_ Peter thought.

Captain America relaxed and smiled. "Well, that's good to hear. I brought you dinner, because we already ate ours and I didn't want you to miss it."

"Thanks," Peter said as Captain America set down the tray. He made sure to keep eye contact with him as he added, "It'll be nice to eat real food after nearly starving to death."

No words could describe the look on Captain America's face. It was a mixture of horrified, guilty, ashamed, and a whole bunch of other emotions Peter couldn't decipher.

It was the best thing he'd ever seen.

"We-well, ye-yes, I gue-guess so," Captain America stuttered. 

"What's wrong, Captain America?" Peter asked innocently. 

"I-uh, nothing, I guess I'll ju-just be going," he said before straight up _sprinting_ out the door. 

Peter managed five seconds before he collapsed, tears in his eyes as he laughed. 

"Oh my god," he wheezed, "That was the greatest thing _ever."_

* * *

When Peter walked in for breakfast next morning, Captain America wouldn't look him in the face. Peter had to fight hard to contain his smirk. 

Scarlet Witch levitated his breakfast plate towards him.

"Thanks, Miss Scarlet Witch," he said politely.

Wanda smiled. "You're welcome, Peter, and please, call me Wanda. After all, I am only two years older than you."

Peter choked on his breakfast. " _What?_ You're _seventeen!"_ he exclaimed. 

She nodded, a shy smile on her face. 

"No way," he breathed. "I can't call you Miss anything, then. Wanda it is."

"Hold on, what about the rest of us, " War Machine asked indignantly.

Peter flashed him a shark smile. "I'll call you what I want, Mr. Colonel James Rhodes War Machine Iron Patriot Sir."

Dead silence.

Then, all at once, everybody _exploded._ Nearly everybody choked on their food, which was followed by a lot of coughing and wheezing. After everybody had finally calmed down, they all had tears of laughter in their eyes.

"O, I like you," Tony said hoarsely. "Tell you what, kid, after breakfast, how about we head down to the lab to work on improvements for your suit?"

Peter saw the opportunity and took it. He flashed that sugary sweet smile at Tony and said sweetly, "Thanks, but I can't right now, I was planning on doing something else. But I won't deny that it _would_ be nice to have a little more protection from repulsor blasts."

That shut everybody up _real_ quick. 

"Come on, Wanda," he said quickly, grabbing her wrist, "I have something to show you."

He quickly made his exit, dragging a bemused-looking Wanda behind him.

* * *

"I don't know if I should be more surprised or scared that you just killed the mood like that," Wanda said as Peter dragged her along.

"I think it should be both," Peter replied. 

Wanda, it turned out, had accidentally overheard his plan . . . in his mind. She explained that sometimes she could randomly hear stray thoughts, and had heard his plan while passing into her room. Peter had instantly recruited her. They had planned that last night, their conversation had been staged. The plan had been simple, stage some conversation to draw the Avengers in, and then rip the carpet out from under their feet. 

It was a simple plan with brilliant execution, and Peter was proud at how it had unfolded. 

"Oh my god, they're still frozen," Peter said, laughing at the screen where JARVIS was displaying the live feed. 

"Yes, great job, Peter, but that still doesn't explain why you dragged me here," Wanda said, rolling her eyes. 

Peter cocked his head at her. "It looked like you needed to say something to me. By the way you're wringing your hands and your slightly elevated heartbeat, I'm guessing you're here to apologize?"

Wanda's eyes widened. "How do you _do_ that?" she asked incredulously. "You just, took all the wind out of my sails, which is a very _special_ first, considering I live with spies."

"I'm special that way," Peter said, smirking. "But don't change the subject."

Wanda's shoulders dropped and she took a deep breath. "Yes, I _did_ want to apologize, but not to _you._ To Spider-Man."

Peter was momentarily stunned, which was _another_ first. Today was full of surprises. 

"To Spider-Man?" he asked. Nobody had ever acknowledged his identity as a separate part of him, even though that's essentially what it _was,_ at least to Peter.

"I wanted to apologize for attacking Spider-Man without knowing all the facts," Wanda clarified. "When I joined this mission, all they told me was that Spider-Man was dangerous and needed to be brought in. Looking back, I should've questioned _why_ they thought you were dangerous, but I didn't, and well . . ." She sighed. 

"So you're not apologizing because I'm a kid?" Peter questioned. 

She shook her head. "Of course not. I think I would know, better than anyone, that age doesn't matter sometimes, and when you're in the superhero world, it _is_ one of those times. I just wanted to apologize for attacking you without any reason."

Peter beamed. "Well, in that case, you're forgiven."

She looked surprised. "That's it? Just like that?"

"Well, yeah" he replied. He lowered his voice and said conspiratorially, "This _may_ surprise you, but I'm not good at holding grudges."

Wanda burst out laughing and Peter grinned mischievously at her. 

So here was the thing: Peter had no idea what lay in store for him in the future, but he was confident that it was going to be crappy. But that didn't matter, because he would deal. He always did. He _had_ to. 

When your life is as weird as his, you learn to just roll. 

So that's what he did. He just rolled. 

But for now?

He would gladly take comfort in the simple things. Like this. Joking around with a fellow teenager. He relaxed and smiled as Wanda teased him, knowing this wouldn't last. 

But he would enjoy it while he could.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there was Chapter 7. You can see the beginning of a friendship, and I really liked the idea of Peter's revenge plan. Tell me what you guys think in the comments below!  
> I'm writing Chapter 8 as fast as I can, and I also wanted to thank you guys for all the comments and kudos! It's amazing. I didn't think this would happen when I started it, but it's honestly awesome!  
> So thanks, guys, and stay safe!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter's 2 weeks come to an end, and he has to make some big decisions.

Peter's first week was spent guilt-tripping the Avengers and hanging out with Wanda. He had become a master at making quick escapes while leaving spluttering Avengers behind, and overall, it had probably been his best week since May's death, and Peter was enjoying it. 

Which _of course_ is when stupid _Parker Luck_ decided to strike again. 

Peter's senses started acting up, along with the urge to climb walls. He got these "episodes" as he called them, from time to time, and he suspected they were simply the spider part of his genes acting up. The episodes usually lasted for a day or two, but this one had lasted for _six days_ so far. _And_ he got nightmares with it. Yay him.

He had kept himself in his room since it had started, since it irritated his senses to step outside. But today was his last day, and he had to attend dinner.

So here he was outside the door, his teeth gritted as his senses went haywire.

"Come on, it's just one dinner. You'll get through it," he muttered to himself.

_Famous last words._

He stepped inside.

* * *

"Peter!" Captain America called warmly, "Glad you could join us."

"No problem, Mr. America," Peter returned weakly, trying not to reveal the fact that he felt like hurling his lunch all over the floor. 

Falcon and Iron Man snorted.

 _That's it. Don't let them suspect you, and just get through this,_ Peter said to himself as he took a seat.

And so, the dinner began.

* * *

Peter _nearly_ made it. He managed to make it through the meal, keep up small talk, but just as he was about to leave, Captain America said, "Before you leave, Peter, we just wanted to talk about something with you. It'll be quick, I promise."

Peter _really_ wanted to sprint out of the door, but he sat down again.

"Yes, Captain?" he inquired.

"Well, we just wanted to ask about your living location. The two weeks are up and we wanted to know if you're good where you are or if you want your room moved."

Peter frowned. "Wait, what? I thought you said I was free to leave after two weeks."

"Well, you are," Captain America said, looking confused. "But we thought-"

"Well, you thought wrong," Peter interrupted. "I'm going back to the streets."

Boy, did _that_ cause an outburst.

"Kid, you can't just-"

"You have a place here-"

"That's really reckless-"

"You were _dying-_ "

"You can't just go back on the streets-"

"Enough!" Captain America shouted. "Peter, I don't understand - Peter?"

Peter had collapsed to the ground, his hands over his ears. The explosion of noise had finally tipped his senses into _major_ overdrive, and now he was going through one of the worst sensory overloads he had _ever_ experienced.

There was too much noise, too much smell, and everyone was crowding him, and he _couldn't breathe . . ._

He whimpered, and then he felt two cool hands settle on his temples, and after that, _sweet relief._

_Peter, can you hear me?_

_Wanda?_

_Yes, Peter, it's me. We're communicating in your mind, and I've blocked all your sensory input._

_Thank you._

_You're welcome. Tony's getting some noise cancelling earphones right now, then I can help lead you back to your room. Do you want me to levitate you?_

_No, I'll walk._

There was silence for a minute, then Wanda said, _Tony's put the earbuds in. I'm going to let go now, and remember to keep your eyes shut._

_Got it._

Awareness started to trickle in, and he felt somebody grab his hand and start to lead him forward. They began walking. 

_Okay, we've reached your room,_ Wanda said. _It's been completely blacked out so you can open your eyes if you want._

Peter opened his eyes and yep, it was completely, blissfully dark. He thanked Wanda before she left, and then spent the rest of the night in his room.

* * *

Peter woke up the next morning and headed down to breakfast, fully ready to leave after. What he _hadn't_ counted on was all the Avengers sitting at the table, looking ready to lecture Peter on his life choices. He sighed inwardly. He _really_ didn't want to deal with this. 

"Good morning, Peter," Captain America said. "I hope you're feeling better."

"Yeah, I am," he replied sinking down into a chair. "So, I was thinking that I'll eat breakfast and head out."

"Yeah, about that," Iron Man said. "The offer to say still stands."

"Yeah, thanks, but I can't," Peter replied. 

"Why not?" Captain America asked. "Surely you realize that the streets are nothing short of a death sentence for you, Peter, with your powers. So why not stay with us?"

Peter knew the _real_ reason he didn't want to, but he said, "I don't know if you guys would get nosy about my abilities. It's kind of hard to trust someone after they almost kill you."

The jab was his last attempt to get out of here. He hoped he might be able to guilt trip his way out of here, but he was disappointed. Captain America flinched, but quickly straightened and said in a determined voice, "Then we'll get you to trust us. Right now, Peter, you have to trust the fact that we only want what's best for you."

Peter knew a losing battle when he saw one. He sighed heavily. "I guess I can give it a try."

Everybody broke out into relieved smiles. 

"I'm glad to hear that, Peter," Captain America said. "I promise, we won't let you down."

* * *

The problem was: they _didn't._ The Avengers held good on their promise. 

It had been a month, and Peter had settled in well. He was on relatively good terms with all the Avengers and he felt _safe_ in a way he hadn't for over 10 months. 

It scared him. 

Peter had spent most of his time on the streets building up walls, trying to get himself to seem unapproachable. He didn't want to get close to anybody _ever_ again after what had happened with May and Skip. He was better off on his own. 

Then the Avengers had come and sent all his walls crashing down. 

Peter had tried, he really had, but he could feel himself start to think of them as family more and more each day. But he couldn't let his selfish needs get in the way of the problem. _Everyone_ he got close to _died!_

_And he didn't know if he could handle another death._

Peter could do simple math. And he knew this:

Him + Others = Death

He had to do _something._ The Avengers were heroes. The world _couldn't_ afford to lose them! So what could he do. 

His heart sank as he came to the realization of what had to be done. 

_Remove himself from the equation._

He quickly left his room and went to the nearest elevator. He waited restlessly as it took him down to the main floor. There, he blended in with everybody else as he walked out the front door and into the frigid night. 

He walked quickly, knowing that if he stopped, he wouldn't follow this through. He would return, and he _wished_ he could, but he couldn't.

It was better for everyone this way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you think? Let me know in the comments!
> 
> I'm pretty sure you guys have noticed that I updated the tags, and also the chapters. The next chapter will be the last one, and it sets up the sequel I have planned. Don't worry, there will be lots more of Peter with the Avengers and other people like Pepper Potts! Just hold on until I get this finished, because I have lots of ideas.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers go after Peter, and Peter learns that he might not have to it all alone.

Sam came bursting into the room where the rest of the Avengers were gathered. 

"Peter's gone!" he cried. 

That instantly got all the Avengers' attention. 

"What!" Tony exclaimed. "JARVIS, what happened?"

"Mr. Parker left the building approximately four hours ago," JARVIS said. 

"He left?!" Clint shouted. "Why would he do that?"

"JARVIS, pull up the feed," Tony commanded. 

The screen showed Peter, who looked deep in thought, and very nervous, standing in his room. Then he quickly exited, before taking an elevator down to the main floor. 

"He just walked out?" Steve questioned. 

Tony was focused on the more important problem. "He left with barely anything, he won't be able to last long out there without a jacket. We need to find him soon!"

"He's right," Steve said grimly. "We need to find him fast."

"I'll take a suit and scan for him from the air," Tony said, getting up. "The rest of you, wait here until we have an exact location."

They all nodded, and Tony hurriedly left the room.

* * *

The Avengers waited tensely as Tony left with the suit. A few minutes later, the call came in. 

"JARVIS found Peter. He's in some abandoned warehouse at the edge of the city. I'm going to get him now," Tony said. 

"Hold on, Tony," Natasha said. "I think I should be the one to go get him."

"Why?" Tony asked. 

"The kid's too smart to leave without a reason, and we need to find out what it is," Natasha replied. 

"I don't see how that means that you should go instead of me," Tony said. 

"Well, to put it simply, Tony, you have zero tact," Natasha answered smoothly. 

"Hey," he protested, "I have tact!"

She sighed. "Let me guess, your plan was to barge in, grab Peter, and fly back here. How is that supposed to help him trust us?"

Tony sighed. "You have a point."

Any other time, Natasha would have teased him, but she simply said, "Of course I do. So send me the location and I'll head out. You should come back."

"Already on my way," Tony replied. "And I've sent it."

"Good. I'll be on my way."

* * *

Natasha _knew_ Peter wouldn't run off without a reason. 

_So what was it?_

That was the question she kept asking herself as she made her way to the warehouse. 

Had he been threatened? Blackmailed? Or had _they_ done something to scare him away?

The last possibility scared Natasha the most. In the month that Peter had spent with them, she had gotten very attached to the young teenager. The kid had wormed his way into all of their hearts, and she didn't want to imagine their life without Peter Parker in it. 

Her thoughts were cut off as she approached the dark warehouse. 

She clicked on a flashlight and stepped inside. 

"Peter?" she called. "Are you in here?"

* * *

"Peter? Are you in here?"

Peter froze at the sound of Natasha's voice. 

He thought of running, but he was sure he wouldn't get far. Better to face the music. 

He stepped out of his hiding spot. 

"Hey, Natasha," he said nervously.

* * *

Natasha trained her light on Peter, who looked fine. 

"Hi, Peter," she returned. "You okay?"

He flashed her a weary smile. "Just tired."

"Okay. How about we get you back to the tower so you can rest?" she asked. 

Peter's smile dropped and he slid to the ground with a sigh. "I can't."

"Okay," she said slowly. "Why not?"

"Because-because-" he let out a frustrated sigh. "It's hard to explain."

"Peter, were you threatened or blackmailed. Harmed in any way?" she asked cautiously.

He shook his head hard. "No! Why would you think that?"

"Because you ran off with no warning or signs whatsoever," she replied. 

"No, it wasn't - I wasn't threatened or anything like that," he said, seeming a little flustered. 

Natasha let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. So, what _did_ happen?"

"Like I said, it's hard to explain," he retorted. 

"Peter, I'm sure it's not that hard. Did somebody on the team hurt you in any way?"

He shook his head harder. "No! Definitely not. You guys have been really nice and it's just - I don't know. I guess that _is_ the problem."

Natasha frowned. "Peter, I'm not sure I understand. You have a problem with us being _nice_ to you?"

"Yes! I mean no. I mean -" He let out a frustrated sigh. Natasha waited silently, knowing the truth was about to come.

"You guys have been really nice to me. I was on the streets for a long time, and you guys saved me, and I just- I started getting closer to you, and that scared me."

"Why does that scare you, Peter?" Natasha asked, slowly moving closer. 

"It scares me because everyone I ever get close to _dies!"_ Peter shouted, and _wow,_ didn't that just break Natasha's heart. 

"Oh, маленький паук," she murmured. "Come here."

Peter stood up and barrelled into her arms. His hands clutched fistfuls of her shirt desperately and she ran her hands up and down his back, trying to soothe him. 

"It's okay, Peter," she whispered. "I'm here."

Peter sagged against her and whispered, "I don't want to be alone anymore. I was all alone for eight months, and I had no family left, so I thought-"

He cut himself off and tightened his arms around Natasha. 

"Peter, family's not defined by blood. The Avengers will always be there for you."

"I know," Peter whispered. "It's just, I didn't _want_ to get close to anybody again. I just - I feel like _I'm_ the reason that people die. People get close to _me,_ and they die because of it."

"Peter, that's not true," Natasha said somebody. "You're just a kid who's been through some crap experiences. That doesn't make you responsible for people dying. You don't control life or death, you're just _you._ Peter Parker. One of the strongest people I know. You've been through so much already, and you became a _hero._ You became Spider-Man because of your bad experiences, and it takes a special person to do that. You're amazing and brave and selfless and I _know_ that you're going to change the world, heck you've already started! So never give up on yourself, Peter, you hear me?"

Peter laughed wetly. "Did you ever think about becoming a public speaker, Natasha? I think that you'd be a hit."

She chuckled softly. "Good to hear that you're sense of humour's still intact. Now come on, let's get you back before you freeze to death."

Peter tucked himself into Natasha's side as they started walking, knowing one thing. 

Peter Parker was going _home._

* * *

_Two weeks later_

"PETER!"

Peter ran as fast he could, turning corners until he made it to his safe spot.

Natasha shut the door behind him as he slid down to the floor, catching his breath. 

"Was the mission successful?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

He grinned and nodded. "Yep. Clint and his room have successfully been glitter bombed."

She grinned back at him. "Excellent. Now, for our next target: Steve." 

He snickered. "I have a few ideas for that."

As they began plotting, Peter thought back to when he had returned to the tower with Natasha. Everybody had been relieved, and Wanda had rushed forward to hug him before glaring and berating him in Sokovian.

After Peter had explained why he had left, there . . . well, he didn't know what _had_ happened because he fled the room right after his explanation, too embarrassed to stick around. 

After that, things had been looking up for Peter. His health was better, he was getting the food he needed, and he had started going out as Spider-Man again. He had also started spending more time with the Avengers, and had also started to let his mischievous side show more. He had played a total of 15 pranks so far, with the help of Natasha, and had started a prank war with Clint. 

It was the most normal Peter had felt in weeks, and he was glad for it. 

He knew that he wasn't okay, and he might never be. 

But he wasn't alone anymore, and that was good enough for him.

He smiled.

Looks like he had found a home after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is! The ending. Please leave comments on how this fic went, I'm really excited to hear about it. 
> 
> The sequel should come up in a few days, and it'll contain the things that I was planning to put in here, like SpiderMom or Peter's relationship with specific Avengers. 
> 
> I also have other ideas on the move, so keep a lookout, and in the meantime, happy holidays!

**Author's Note:**

> Well there it is! My first ever chapter! Please let me know how it was in the comments, but no rude comments please. I'll try to update weekly, but I already have my second chapter written, so I'll try to get it on here in a day or two.


End file.
